DUNKIRK, France (7 July 2025) — In a thrilling finish that epitomized the chaotic beauty of Tour de France sprinting, Tim Merlier delivered a masterclass in tactical patience and raw speed Monday, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat to claim his second Tour de France stage win while drama and heartbreak unfolded across the windswept roads of northern France.
The Belgian speedster from Soudal Quick-Step appeared beaten with 500 meters to go, boxed in behind the Lidl-Trek train as Jonathan Milan prepared to unleash his devastating kick. But in a moment of pure racing instinct, Merlier found daylight and exploded past the Italian powerhouse in the final 50 meters, throwing his bike at the line to secure victory by mere centimeters in Dunkirk.
“I’m very happy, it’s my second victory in the Tour and I’ve only sprinted twice in the Tour!” Merlier gasped after his triumph. “In the last five kilometres, it was really difficult to stay in the slipstream. I had to try several times to find my position. It was only in the last 500 metres that I was able to get back into the slipstream. It cost me a lot of energy, but once I was in position, I was confident in my sprint.”
Disaster Strikes at the Intermediate Sprint
The stage’s defining moment came not at the finish line but 88 kilometers earlier, when disaster struck the peloton at the intermediate sprint in Isbergues. As the riders hit maximum velocity, contesting crucial green jersey points, Jasper Philipsen—Stage 1 winner and the Tour’s most dominant sprinter—made contact with Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) and crashed heavily onto the tarmac at terrifying speed.
The sickening thud of carbon fiber and flesh meeting asphalt silenced the roadside crowds as Philipsen lay motionless before eventually climbing into the race doctor’s car, his Tour de France dreams shattered in an instant. The Belgian star’s abandonment sent shockwaves through the peloton and left his Alpecin-Deceuninck squad reeling.
“All our thoughts are for sure with Jasper. It’s pretty sad to see him go like this. There is a good chance he has broken something,” said race leader Mathieu Van der Poel, Philipsen’s teammate, his voice heavy with emotion. “We had a pretty nice goal in winning the green jersey with him again. It’s not a happy day today.”
Early Breaks Fizzle in the Flanders Wind
The stage began with the familiar Tour de France ballet of breakaway attempts, but the flat, wind-exposed terrain of northern France offered little incentive for adventurous riders. Jonas Rickaert (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Matej Mohoric (Bahrain-Victorious) made a perfunctory effort, but their hearts weren’t in it—they surrendered after less than 10 kilometers of token resistance.
Similarly, Nils Politt and Tim Wellens (UAE Emirates XRG) gave it a go before capitulating at kilometer 21, leaving the peloton to settle into the hypnotic rhythm of a controlled stage. Van der Poel’s teammates took command at the front, maintaining just enough pace to discourage further attacks while preserving energy for the inevitable sprint finale.
Wellens Chases the Polka Dots
The day’s only moment of genuine racing came when Tim Wellens launched a calculated attack before Mont Cassel, the stage’s lone categorized climb. The Belgian national champion knew exactly what he was doing—targeting the King of the Mountains points that would earn him the coveted polka-dot jersey.
“Last night, Tadej Pogacar and I talked about the possibility of me taking the polka dot jersey. He told me he was happy to have it, but as he’s a generous person, he doesn’t mind sharing,” Wellens revealed after securing the climbing prize.
His solo effort stretched the gap to 1’45” over the summit, but the mathematical certainty of the sprint finish meant his freedom was always temporary. The peloton reeled him in with 27 kilometers remaining, setting up the high-speed chess match that would define the stage.
Chaos in the Coastal Headwinds
As the race entered Dunkirk’s windswept approaches, the atmosphere transformed from controlled procession to barely contained chaos. The coastal headwinds turned positioning into a life-or-death struggle, with teams fighting desperately for the coveted spots in the top 20 positions.
Lidl-Trek appeared to have executed the perfect strategy, delivering Milan to the front of the peloton with surgical precision. The Italian looked unbeatable as he prepared to unleash his sprint, but Merlier’s experience and tactical nous proved decisive.
“I cannot be super happy with a 2nd place,” Milan admitted, his disappointment evident. “I had my eyes set on the stage win, and thus I can only feel partially happy. It has been a chaotic final. I tried my best in the sprint. Maybe I should have waited a bit more, given the headwind… But in the end, it went like it went and I can only congratulate Tim [Merlier] on his victory.”
Van der Poel Adapts to New Reality
With Philipsen’s departure forcing a complete strategic recalibration, Van der Poel confirmed that Kaden Groves would inherit the team’s sprint leadership. “I think Kaden Groves will become the sprinter of the team. He has shown in previous years that he is able to win big races. It was difficult to refocus today, but in the coming days we will fight for victories with him.”
Young French sensation Kévin Vauquelin, resplendent in the white jersey, hinted at bigger ambitions looming. “Tomorrow there’s a chance to make a move. It’s a course that suits me,” he said with quiet confidence. “Of course, the Maillot Jaune is on my mind. I don’t know if I’ll be marked, but they know I’m not aiming for the overall classification. However, it would be great to wear it for the stage in Caen.”
The victory marks Merlier’s second Tour de France stage win, following his 2021 triumph in Pontivy. In a remarkable coincidence, both victories came on Stage 3, the day after Van der Poel won a stage—though the riders were teammates in 2021 at Alpecin-Fenix, making this latest chapter in their intertwined careers all the more poignant.
By the Numbers
2 – 1470: MERLIER FOLLOWING VAN DER POEL
The day after Mathieu Van der Poel’s 2nd Tour victory, 1,470 days after his first one, Tim Merlier achieved exactly the same performance! The Belgian won the 3rd stage of the Tour 2021 in Pontivy. At the time, he was the teammate of Van der Poel and Philipsen. Merlier is now competing in his second Tour, but for Soudal Quick-Step.
13: SOUDAL QUICK-STEP UNSTOPPABLE
This is the 13th consecutive edition that the Soudal Quick-Step team (and its various names) won at least one stage, since 2013. The last time was Remco Evenepoel’s victory in the time trial between Gevrey and Chambertin, last year. This is the team’s 53rd Tour de France victory.
2/3: BELGIUM LIKE IN 2005
Belgium won two of the first three stages thanks to Jasper Philipsen (stage 1) and Tim Merlier (stage 3). This hadn’t happened since 2005, 20 years ago, when Tom Boonen won stages 2 and 3.
8: VAN DER POEL EQUALS KNETEMANN
Mathieu Van der Poel retains his Yellow Jersey. This is his 8th Yellow Jersey, the same number as his compatriot Gerrie Knetemann. It makes him the third-highest-ranked Dutchman in this ranking, behind Joop Zoetemelk (22 times) and Wout Wagtmans (12 times).
1: MILAN, HAPPINESS IN GREEN
Jonathan Milan took the green jersey for the first time in his career. It’s also the first time he finished in the top three of a Tour stage (2nd today). At 24 years, 9 months and 6 days, Milan is the youngest Italian rider to lead the points classification since Francesco Moser in 1975 (24 years and 8 days).
16: WELLENS BACK WITH THE POLKA DOT JERSEY
Tim Wellens took the polka dot jersey on stage 3 in 2019, before losing it on stage 18. First rider in the Côte de Cassel, he took the jersey for the 16th time. One more day, and he’ll enter the top 10 riders who have worn the jersey the most times, alongside Peter de Clercq, Laurent Jalabert, and Chris Froome (17 times).
8: PHILIPSEN OUT OF THE RACE
Having crashed during the intermediate sprint in Isbergues, Jasper Philipsen is the 8th green jersey to retire from the race while leading the points classification. The previous seven were Cyrille Guimard (1972), Jan Raas (1980), Mario Cipollini (1993), Jaan Kirsipuu (1999), Alessandro Petacchi (2003), Tom Boonen (2005), and Marcel Kittel (2017).
5: BAUHAUS STILL CLOSE
This is the 5th time Phil Bauhaus has finished on the podium in a Tour de France stage, but the German has yet to win! He has finished second two times (Bayonne 2023, Nimes 2024), and third three times (Nogaro 2023, Moulins 2023, Dunkerque 2025). The record for podium finishes without a Tour victory? 10, for Jan Mertens, Gilbert Desmet, and Andreas Kloden.
108: THE LONG ITALIAN WAIT
It has been 108 stages and 2,171 days since Italy last won at the Tour – its last victory was on stage 20 of the 2019 edition, won by Vincenzo Nibali. This is the longest current wait for a country that has already won here. Second in Dunkerque, Jonathan Milan aims to end this drought this year.
Stage 3 Results (Valenciennes > Dunkirk, 183.4km)
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- Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick‑Step) – 4h 16’ 55″
- Jonathan Milan (Lidl‑Trek) – same time
- Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious) – same time
- Søren Wærenskjold (Uno‑X Mobility) – same time
- Pavel Bittner (Picnic PostNL) – same time
- Biniam Girmay (Intermarché‑Wanty) – same time
- Kaden Groves (Alpecin‑Deceuninck) – same time
- Pascal Ackermann (IPT) – same time
- Amaury Capiot (Arkéa‑B&B Hotels) – same time
- Alberto Dainese (Tudor Pro Cycling) – same time
General Classification Top 10 After Stage 3:
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- Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin–Deceuninck) – 12h 55’ 37″
- Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates–XRG) – +4″
- Jonas Vingegaard (Visma–Lease a Bike) – +6″
- Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa–B&B Hotels) – +10″
- Matteo Jorgenson (Visma–Lease a Bike) – +10″
- Enric Mas (Movistar) – +10″
- Joseph Blackmore (Israel–Premier Tech) – +41″
- Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno‑X Mobility) – +41″
- Ben O’Connor (Jayco AlUla) – +41″
- Emanuel Buchmann (Cofidis) – +49″
Current Jersey Holders
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- Yellow Jersey (General Classification Leader): Mathieu van der Poel
- Green Jersey (Points Leader): Jonathan Milan – 81 pts
- Polka-Dot Jersey (King of the Mountains): Tim Wellens – 3 pts
- White Jersey (Best Young Rider): Kévin Vauquelin
